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East Gym opens 75,000-square-foot expansion
Changes were aimed toward adding recreational space and fostering space for socialization.
The addition includes increased fitness space, an indoor track and multipurpose rooms
Over three years after the initial announcement, the East Gym expansion opened earlier this month
The renovations added 75,000 square feet of recreational programming space, including state-of-the-art exercise equipment, new basketball courts and an indoor track. Campus leaders, students and community members gathered for the East Gym’s ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, Aug. 19
“I share our students’ excitement about the expanded East Gym,” President Anne D’Alleva said in a statement to Pipe Dream. “It’s a terrific space for fitness and recreation—and for bringing our University community together. I’m grateful to the Division of Student Affairs and Campus Recreation for creating programs and opportunities that will support the well-being of our community for years to come.”
Average daily visits have nearly doubled since the opening director of campus recreational services
Offering jobs to approximately 200 students, the East Gym is the second-largest employer on campus
“I’m proud as director to support my professional staff development by encouraging them to attend conferences, but also to advance their education,” St John said in an interview with Pipe Dream. “Oftentimes, in higher education, to be looked at for a promotional opportunity, it’s important and oftentimes it’s required to have a master’s degree, a graduate degree. We had a staff member who moved on from the University, but while he was here, he obtained his master’s, and that helped get his next job.”
Laura Cichostepski ’09 MPA ’11, the assistant director of marketing for campus recreation, added that students can apply to intern at the East Gym and earn college credit while working towards nationally credited fitness instructor certification through ACE Fitness
David Rezmovitch, a senior studying political science and a fitness assistant and personal trainer at the East Gym, wrote to Pipe Dream that working at campus recreation has been a meaningful experience in helping others reach their fitness and well-being goals
“Seeing people put in the work and getting results to become the best version of themselves is very inspiring to me,” Rezmovitch wrote
He also said that it is important for universities to invest in student recreational facilities to foster a sense of pride
Cichostepski pointed out the design decisions to infuse school spirit throughout the space by adorning the new exercise equipment with Binghamton University branding
“We’re proud to be Bearcats, and we want everyone here proud to be a Bearcat,” she said
St. John added that there are “three pillars” of campus recreation facility design, all of which were implemented in the new expansion. The first pillar is to have dedicated spaces for socialization, which is currently accomplished with seating areas in the entrance and will soon include a full-scale recreation room equipped with more space for visitors to lounge. The estimated opening date for the “Rec Room” has not been announced yet
St. John said that the second pillar is to have ample storage space for sports equipment and club materials, and the third pillar is to have an intentional flow of exercise locations. He said that the new expansion “nailed all three of them.”
“When you walk into Fit Space, you don’t want to see a student bench pressing 500 pounds or trying to deadlift 800 pounds because that can be kind of off-putting or intimidating,” St. John told Pipe Dream
Lucas Ferreira, a senior studying global public health and building manager and personal trainer at the East Gym, told Pipe Dream that the expanded fitness space has improved the exercise experience for patrons because the fitness room is less crowded and there is access to more equipment
Throughout the building process, the East Gym team evaluated what was and wasn’t working in the previous space
“There was always students waiting along the edges of our basketball courts to play basketball,” Cichostepski said. “When we talk about the rec fee and what’s included, anyone that’s a Binghamton University student can come down and play pickup basketball. We always had a lot of demand for more basketball courts and space. So that’s why the three-gymnasium expansion was such a focus.”
While students, staff and community members can opt in to purchasing memberships of the East Gym to gain access to the FitSpace fitness center or join group fitness classes, students are given access to open recreation activities through the recreation fee. This includes swimming, basketball, badminton, volleyball and pickleball court access and outdoor facilities
“So what we’re trying to do here is kind of prepare students for what happens after here, and so we want to make sure that they develop those healthy habits of getting regular physical activity because of the benefits it has, you know, social, emotional, as well as physical,” Cichostepski told Pipe Dream. “So it’s setting students up for success now —finding that balance, building those healthy habits — so that hopefully they can take it with them in the future for when they are working at their careers, that they’re able to find that balance and maintain their well-being.”
